Mochas and Minotaurs (Possessive Monsters #8)

Chapter 25

Griselda

Why the hell was I running?

This was Marcus. He might not be thinking straight right now, and those bellows were terrifying as fuck, but it was still him. I’d known this would happen. So why was I running?

I slid down his body as he released me, my clothes catching on his massive erection. If I hadn’t seen it before, I’d probably have started running again. I braced for impact, thinking I’d hit the hard stone, but my knees landed on grass instead. He’d brought me to a part of the labyrinth that was greener and more lush. A definite improvement from the dark, dank corridors I’d found him in.

But I didn’t have much time to admire the scenery because Marcus tore into my clothes like wrapping paper, and I was the gift underneath. I searched his face for any evidence that he was still there and forced myself to calm. He was completely naked, and his cock twitched in front of me.

Wanting some semblance of control, I reached for it. It was heavy in my hands, and Marcus groaned, his face turning to the sky.

I could do this. It was just him and me. And once he came, his mind would clear. I had to admit that his being like this, wild, out of control, like he wanted me more than anything else in the world, was a turn-on.

I moved my hands up and down his impressive length, pumping him as he huffed and made feral-sounding noises. A shiny drop of precum beaded at the tip, and I rubbed my thumb over it, smearing it around the flared head.

He let out a snarl, too far gone for words, and dropped to his knees in front of me, yanking his cock out of my hands. His hands were strong and unforgiving when he shoved me down, flipped me over, and arranged me on my hands and knees. He shoved his face into my crotch, huffing like he was tasting me through his nose.

A few firm licks with his large tongue had me bowing my head, knees weak with the rush of pleasure that bulldozed through me. Then he was snarling behind me. His thick head slid against my slick opening, and he growled in frustration. I was shorter, and he had to lift me up with an arm under my belly so that my knees barely grazed the top of the grass as he lined us up.

Then he was driving into me, opening me up. I cried out, clawing my fingers instinctively into the grass to crawl away from the overwhelming sensation, but his grip was like a vise, and I wasn’t going anywhere. He did slow, though, so I had time to get used to him.

“Mine.” It was the first word out of his mouth since that glazed look had settled over his eyes.

His hands tightened on my hips, and he thrust again. He was massive in this position, and it felt like he was splitting me in half. Only the knowledge that we’d done this before and that I could handle him kept me sane.

The next roll of his hips had him filling me completely. And then he was rutting into me, fucking me like a beast. It was too much. I couldn’t tell if it was pleasure or pain. I tried to crawl forward again, if only for just a second of reprieve.

Marcus snarled, growing harder, even though he was already hard as rock that made up the labyrinth walls around us.

“Gigi.”

My name. He remembered my name. Even now, in his haze, I was who he wanted.

“Mine. All mine.”

I shuddered at his words. I shouldn’t want to hear them, but I did. I was his. And he was mine. And nothing could ever change that. Not even a dragon.

Then he came, roaring as his hot seed poured into me. Then the base of his cock started to swell, locking us together, and that sent me over the edge. The world exploded around us. I screamed, but no sound came out as electric bliss blinded me.

I collapsed onto the grass, and Marcus crumpled behind me. But I only felt his weight for a moment before he turned us onto our sides and pulled me protectively into his embrace. I snuggled back against his chest.

We’d be knotted together for at least a few minutes. I sure hoped the dragon didn’t come charging in right now, realizing that I’d duped him.

We were still mostly naked but no longer locked together when the dragon in human form found us, just as Bella said he would. Here it was, my chance to execute the rest of the outlandish plan that she’d given me. So far, it had worked exactly as she’d said, but only because I’d done my part to a T. And it hadn’t been easy.

Bella was right; this wasn’t like granting any other wish. There was a hell of a lot of work involved for the wisher. She granted solutions, and one had to be smart and dedicated enough to make it work.

I’d stood behind the counter of the Witch’s Brew day in and day out and waited for Elise to return. And I had to admit that for a while, I’d thought that she wouldn’t and that Bella’s solution was a bust. But then, two days ago, right before the spring equinox, Elise walked into my coffee shop wearing the latest designer clothes, shoes, and handbag.

She made an offer on behalf of the dragon, just as Bella said she would. The same offer she was given thirty-five years ago. And I accepted.

She’d given me one day to pack my things, warning me that I wouldn’t be able to take my phone or any form of electronics into the maze. The second she left, I called Lily, Penny, and Declan, and we put our plan into motion.

The dragon was wearing a modern-day suit, his white hair slicked back off his face. He looked ready to rip my head off. Marcus’s protective urges meant he tried immediately to put me behind him.

“What have you done, witch? Whatever tracking device you have, turn it off now.”

I resisted the urge to pull the tatters of my clothes around me; it would only make me look less confident, and it wouldn’t cover me anyway.

“You are not in the position to make demands, dragon,” I said, hoping I didn’t sound as terrified as I felt. I tried to channel my inner bitch. This asshole had stolen the love of my life from me. “Besides, I can’t do that. And it’s too late anyway.”

“What’s going on?” Marcus was lucid now that the heat had temporarily faded, but we didn’t have long before the chemicals being pumped into the maze would start affecting him again. I had to talk fast.

“My friends already know the location of the entrance to your treasure hoard. What happens now depends on whether you make the right choice.”

“You dare threaten a dragon. I should burn you to a crisp!” The words ended with a roar, and a wisp of smoke rose from his nostrils.

Marcus now realized that a concerted effort to rescue him was underway.

“Go ahead. Fry me. Destroy your only way to keep your treasures secret.” I was surprised by how confident I sounded. Maybe it was practicing in front of the mirror all these weeks. Or maybe it was the presence of Marcus by my side and knowing that both our lives were on the line. “Even killing my friends would do you no good. The location will be broadcasted over every social media outlet if I do not return safely with Marcus. It is automated, and only my safe return could stop it.”

The dragon stopped mid-step, rage on his face. But he did not, in fact, burn me to a crisp. “What do you want then? The minotaur? Then take him.”

“Not so fast. I want to make an official deal. With witnesses.” The dragon was wily and I wasn’t dumb enough to believe his words alone.

The dragon, still nameless, grumbled something about my human pestilence and then bellowed for Elise. The next few minutes passed in silence. Marcus and I glared at the dragon-man and he glared right back. A portal opening up next to the fountain ended our staring contest, and Elise stepped in. She looked a bit disheveled, like she hadn’t had time to fix her makeup or get dressed properly. She was, however, holding her most recently purchased Hermes bag.

“I guess since you don’t have a witness, mine will have to do.” The dragon looked smug.

“Oh, but I do.”

“The minotaur does not count, because he is the subject,” the dragon said haughtily, thinking he’d already won.

“I’m speaking about the incubus.”

Elise let out a shriek when her purse suddenly moved, morphing and changing until Prax stood next to her.

“There’s a demon in my maze!” the dragon growled.

“Prax Incubus at your service.” Prax bowed low before turning to Elise and winked, the Hermes logo still imprinted on his forehead. “Thanks for the ride.”

“Since everyone is here,” I said, wanting this to be over before I lost my nerve, “let’s get started.”

I listed all the criteria for the deal, and Prax helped, morphing a part of himself off so that he could float the words I had to say above the dragon’s head. I couldn’t forget any of the details of the carefully crafted and ironclad deal. Not only would the dragon free Marcus and let him return safely, he would also absolve him and future generations of his line from the original deal.

“And in exchange, I will put a stop to the information getting out the second I am in a safe location. Any attempt to attack us or our friends and family after the completion of this deal will result in the whereabouts of your treasures being leaked directly to Desmon, the dragon of Darlington, and to Emmett, his brother. As long as you hold up your end of the deal, we will hold up ours.”

Of course, the dragon could simply move his treasures, and the coordinates we had would no longer be of use. But a dragon’s hoard was massive, and it would take years, maybe decades, to move piecemeal. He wouldn’t be able to move it en masse without calling attention to it. Making the deal was his best bet.

The dragon, not stupid, realized it as well. His face screwed into a menacing scowl, as he realized he’d been outsmarted. Eventually he conceded, but not before trying to change the wording to better suit himself. We didn’t budge, having already been warned that he would do this.

When he finally signed, I leaned in to check the name. Ernest. His name was Ernie? No wonder he never used it.

But it was done. And it was official. Marcus was free! And so were his future generations.

Pissed off and unable to do anything about it, the dragon turned and stormed away.

“Great doing business with you, Ernie,” I quipped, unable to stop myself.

“You silly woman,” Elise said when we were portaled out of the dragon’s maze as per the agreement and into a back alley in Paris. “You could have lived a life of luxury. Just one baby.”

I wrinkled my nose at the stench. I wasn’t sure if it was the alley or all of Paris that smelled like piss. Maybe it was Elise. Ugh. Talk about ruining the illusion.

“Unlike you, I don’t see Marcus as a paycheck. Now get out of my face before I sic my demon on you.” Prax wasn’t mine to sic on anybody, but the threat worked, and the woman stomped indignantly away.

“Come on,” Prax said. “We have a reservation at a nearby hotel.”

I looked around but had no idea which way to go.

Prax came to the rescue. “I’ll take you there. But you might want to use some magic to cover up before someone calls the police thinking you were attacked.”

I glanced at my reflection in a window and saw how I looked. My hair was a mess and my clothes torn after my encounter with Marcus in the maze. I concentrated and crafted an illusion of proper clothes and decent hair and makeup around my body.

The hotel was just a block away and booked under Prax’s name, which had been a good plan since I had no method of payment on me. I didn’t even have my purse, which meant no phone and no wallet. It sucked.

“You two just relax,” Prax said. “Bella’s plan ends here, but we’ll figure out a way to get you two home. You did the hardest part already, Gigi. It takes some kahunas to face down a dragon. We’ll do the rest.”

Then he was gone. Lucky demon. I wished I could just pop back to the States like that and be at home.

“Bella’s plan?” Marcus asked. “Who’s Bella?”

“Our compact friend,” I said. I explained everything to him, from learning about her special magical talent to all the planning, and finally, to the relief of seeing him in the maze.

“I owe you, and her…I owe everyone my life.”

I shook my head. “You don’t owe anyone anything. That’s what friends are for.”

“Just friends?” he asked with a raised brow.

“No. Not just friends. Not for me anyway,” I said honestly.

“I should have told you this the moment I realized it, Kitten.” He cupped my face gingerly in his hands. “I never knew that minotaurs had mates until I met you. I know now because you are mine. I can feel it down in my very soul. I love you, Gigi.”

Happy tears brimmed in my eyes, threatening to turn me into a sobbing mess. “I love you too, Marcus.”

I collapsed into his arms, and we sat there, letting everything that had happened wash over us. We’d taken on a dragon and won.

But the adrenaline that had kept me going until now had faded, and exhaustion was quickly catching up. I let the illusion drop and cuddled into my mate’s arms. And there, safe and sound, I slept.